I've had quite a few friends that have expressed an interest in purchasing Adobe Photoshop CS4. Now, I LOVE Adobe Photoshop CS4, but I always ask them what they are going to use it for. Their answer is always - to fix my pictures...the exposure, the color, etc.
STOP... This is like buying a Rolls Royce when a bicycle would get you to the corner store just as well.
Photoshop has another product that is meant specifically for photographers to tweak your photos. It's called Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
BENEFITS:
1) Less Expensive $299 (unless you're a teacher or have a student. Then it's $99)
2) Soooo much easier to use! The learning curve is very quick
3) I can import 1000 photos from a recent wedding and it takes less than 10 minutes. Try that with Photoshop - you're computer will freeze! (Realize that the speed of upload depends entirely on your computer's processor speed and RAM. I have an Intel Core2 Quad 2.4 GHz with 6 GB of Ram...most of you won't have this - but since I'm a photographer and deal with 1000's of photos a month, I need the speed...you probably don't.)
4) I can add keywords and rating labels to my photos, which then show up in Window's Explorer - making it easy to search for photos later on.
5) I can export the photos all at once - Whoo Hoo!!! I realize that Photoshop can batch process, but honestly, it took me so long to learn to do it, I gave up!
6) My favorite benefit is the ability to add 'filters' to my photos (not only b&w, but aged photo, hanne split-tone, 300, new mexico road, etc., etc.) All are free downloads from the internet.
CONS:
1) You'll love the program so much, you might not get around to making dinner or cleaning the house.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Linda's List of 'Why I Went Digital'
My good friend and fellow 'Creative Memories past unit leader,' Linda, went digital with her albums awhile ago. I asked her to give me her reasons for making the change! Thanks, Linda!
-Faster!
-Can look professional or very artsy-craftsy – your choice.
-My husband loves it – no mess!!
-Seriously – when you are finished, all you do is walk away from your computer.
-Make one album; share with many; easily duplicated. How many times have you made an album to give away – then later wished you had a copy for yourself? Copies are free if kept digitally; or only the cost of the book if you reproduce it – but NO EXTRA TIME is involved!
-Less expensive.
-There’s sooo much digital “stuff” available – and it’s all reusable!
-Digital “stuff” is usually less expensive than paper “stuff” – AND (did I say) it’s re-usable?
-There is a wealth of free “stuff” available online!!
-Make a page for one child; change out some pictures and have a page for another child.
-Never run out of adhesive at midnight!
-Never come up short on a particular paper!
-No storage space needed for supplies. No cost for storage containers!
-Easier to organize “supplies” and so easy to find what you want.
-Can resize photos to fit page: need it bigger - no problem; need it smaller but really don’t want to crop out Aunt Suzie – no problem!!
-Photos can be enhanced, edited, cropped, shaped.
-I love the fact that when I’m doing a digital page, if I decide I want to add another photo, I can do it NOW; I don’t have to wait to have another photo printed.
-No photo printing expense. No leftover photos not in books (unless, of course, you choose to print some to have on hand!).
-Easy to add text; easy to correct errors and space the text on a page.
-Ability to include more journaling than when handwriting it.
-More font options for journaling; many even look like they are handwritten! Can you write 40 or 100 or 200 different ways?
-More book options, including professionally bound books that take up less space on your bookshelf.
-If you see a paper you just have to have, buy one sheet, scan it, save it, use it 100 times!!
-I thought I might miss the “creative outlet” I had with paper scrapping - no paper, stickers, die cuts, etc., - horrors!! - but I find I can be even more creative with digital than paper.
-I can shop for paper, page kits, etc., 24/7; all are downloadable; I receive them within seconds – talk about instant gratification!
-Scrap anywhere!! Very portable – just take a laptop and you have it all – photos, supplies, and pages just waiting to be created!
Less time, less mess, less money. . . .
More flexibility. . . .
Easy to share. . . .
-Faster!
-Can look professional or very artsy-craftsy – your choice.
-My husband loves it – no mess!!
-Seriously – when you are finished, all you do is walk away from your computer.
-Make one album; share with many; easily duplicated. How many times have you made an album to give away – then later wished you had a copy for yourself? Copies are free if kept digitally; or only the cost of the book if you reproduce it – but NO EXTRA TIME is involved!
-Less expensive.
-There’s sooo much digital “stuff” available – and it’s all reusable!
-Digital “stuff” is usually less expensive than paper “stuff” – AND (did I say) it’s re-usable?
-There is a wealth of free “stuff” available online!!
-Make a page for one child; change out some pictures and have a page for another child.
-Never run out of adhesive at midnight!
-Never come up short on a particular paper!
-No storage space needed for supplies. No cost for storage containers!
-Easier to organize “supplies” and so easy to find what you want.
-Can resize photos to fit page: need it bigger - no problem; need it smaller but really don’t want to crop out Aunt Suzie – no problem!!
-Photos can be enhanced, edited, cropped, shaped.
-I love the fact that when I’m doing a digital page, if I decide I want to add another photo, I can do it NOW; I don’t have to wait to have another photo printed.
-No photo printing expense. No leftover photos not in books (unless, of course, you choose to print some to have on hand!).
-Easy to add text; easy to correct errors and space the text on a page.
-Ability to include more journaling than when handwriting it.
-More font options for journaling; many even look like they are handwritten! Can you write 40 or 100 or 200 different ways?
-More book options, including professionally bound books that take up less space on your bookshelf.
-If you see a paper you just have to have, buy one sheet, scan it, save it, use it 100 times!!
-I thought I might miss the “creative outlet” I had with paper scrapping - no paper, stickers, die cuts, etc., - horrors!! - but I find I can be even more creative with digital than paper.
-I can shop for paper, page kits, etc., 24/7; all are downloadable; I receive them within seconds – talk about instant gratification!
-Scrap anywhere!! Very portable – just take a laptop and you have it all – photos, supplies, and pages just waiting to be created!
Less time, less mess, less money. . . .
More flexibility. . . .
Easy to share. . . .
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Creating Subfolders
You've now created files on your computer for the year you're working on and monthly folders inside. It should look something like:
2009
01
02
03, etc.
By adding subfolders to each month, it makes it much easier to locate the photo you're looking for. For example:
2009
01
Gregory's Birthday
Gram's Trip to Utah
Nature Photos
Naming subfolders is quick and easy and will save you LOTS of time down the road!
NEXT POST: ADDING TAGS OR KEYWORDS TO YOUR PHOTOS - FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL LOVE YOU FOR DOING THIS!
2009
01
02
03, etc.
By adding subfolders to each month, it makes it much easier to locate the photo you're looking for. For example:
2009
01
Gregory's Birthday
Gram's Trip to Utah
Nature Photos
Naming subfolders is quick and easy and will save you LOTS of time down the road!
NEXT POST: ADDING TAGS OR KEYWORDS TO YOUR PHOTOS - FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL LOVE YOU FOR DOING THIS!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Where Do I Begin
Did you know:
Over 25 million people in the US alone consider themselves to be scrapbookers.
Almost 30% of all households have at least one family member who scrapbooks.
Americans take over 30 billion photos per year. Where are all those pictures?
So, why is this site helpful!? Most people I talk to WANT to have their photos displayed in albums - or at the very least - moved from the camera to the computer! They just don't know where to begin.
I believe in simplicity. I can honestly say that that my albums have been 'current' for 38 years! How did I do this while raising a family and working on the side?
Here's my secret:
I found methods that were simple and easy to follow.
I was willing to change methods when something easier and/or better came along.
I listened to others whose ideas could save me time and money
I have used every kind of scrapbook ever invented from the old 'tied-together-with-a-string' kind with photo corners and rubber cement, and the albums where you peeled back that plastic sheet and stuck your photos on pre-glued pages, to wonderful Creative Memories paper/scissor style albums in the 90's and early 2000's to the fairly new digital albums offered.
I have designed and completed digital albums using companies such as: Fotofusion, Shutterly, Winkflash, Creative Memories, Photoshop, Photoshop's Lightroom, Portrait Professional, Wacom Tablets, Lustrecolor, Heritage Makers, Digital Scrapbook Place, and am now giving Polaroid's My Memories Suite a try.
They all have wonderful elements to them and I use these companies for different reasons as you'll see as you work your way through this website.
If you've never 'scrapbooked' before, I hope you'll give it a try! I would love to hear from you and post your thoughts on the website for others to learn from! If you've tried something and love it, let me know! I would love to see your completed pages as well.
Over 25 million people in the US alone consider themselves to be scrapbookers.
Almost 30% of all households have at least one family member who scrapbooks.
Americans take over 30 billion photos per year. Where are all those pictures?
So, why is this site helpful!? Most people I talk to WANT to have their photos displayed in albums - or at the very least - moved from the camera to the computer! They just don't know where to begin.
I believe in simplicity. I can honestly say that that my albums have been 'current' for 38 years! How did I do this while raising a family and working on the side?
Here's my secret:
I found methods that were simple and easy to follow.
I was willing to change methods when something easier and/or better came along.
I listened to others whose ideas could save me time and money
I have used every kind of scrapbook ever invented from the old 'tied-together-with-a-string' kind with photo corners and rubber cement, and the albums where you peeled back that plastic sheet and stuck your photos on pre-glued pages, to wonderful Creative Memories paper/scissor style albums in the 90's and early 2000's to the fairly new digital albums offered.
I have designed and completed digital albums using companies such as: Fotofusion, Shutterly, Winkflash, Creative Memories, Photoshop, Photoshop's Lightroom, Portrait Professional, Wacom Tablets, Lustrecolor, Heritage Makers, Digital Scrapbook Place, and am now giving Polaroid's My Memories Suite a try.
They all have wonderful elements to them and I use these companies for different reasons as you'll see as you work your way through this website.
If you've never 'scrapbooked' before, I hope you'll give it a try! I would love to hear from you and post your thoughts on the website for others to learn from! If you've tried something and love it, let me know! I would love to see your completed pages as well.
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